Machine for plucking pelts



4 sheets-sheet 1.

(No Model.) J,.W. SUTTON.

MACHINE POR PLUGKINGPELTS.

Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

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l (No Model.) 4 Sheets- Sheet 2.

J. W. SUTTON. MACHINE POR PLUGKING PELTS'.

No. 536,742. Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

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(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 3.

l J. W. SUTTON. MACHINE POR PLUGKING PELTS.

No. 536,742. PatentedApr. 2, 1895.

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(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 4.

' J. W. SUTTON.

MACHINE FOR PLUGKING PBLTS.

No. 536,742. PatentedApr. 2, 1895.

NVENTOH YH: Nonms PETERS co. mumumo., wAsHmmoN, D. o,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. STTON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR PLUCKING PELTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent. No. 536,742, dated April 2, 1895.

Application iiled April 1L 1894. Serial No. 507,102. (No model.) Patented in England .Tune '7, 1894, No. 11,102.

To all whom it' may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN W. SUTTON, a citizen of Vthe United States, residing in Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Plucking Pelts, (patented in England June 7, 1894, No. 11,1 02,) of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to certain improvements in the machine for plucking furs, for which Letters 'Patent were granted to me heretofore, No. 383,258, dated May 28, 1888, said improvements being designed with the view of overcoming some of the defects of the machine referred to, facilitating the working of the machine, adjusting the pelt quickly to the required position toward the operative parts of the machine and permitting the interruption of the cutting-off of the waterhairs Whenever this is desired during the working of the machine.

` The invention consists of a machine for removing the Water-hairs from pelts of all kinds, which comprises a fixed stretcher-bar, means for stretching and intermittently feeding a peltIover said stretcher-bar, a rotary brush located above the stretcher-bar and near the edge of the same, a reciprocating guard-comb below the stretcher-bar, a rotary separatingbrush likewise below the stretcher-bar, mechanism for moving the said brush and guardcomb into a position in upward and forward direction toward the edge of the stretcherbar and over the portion of the pelt below the same, a verticalijf-reciprocating knife, a rotary knife arranged to cut off. the projecting water-hairs in conjunction with the vertically-reciprocating knife, and a carol arranged on the arm of the rotary knife at some distance from the same, so as to pass over the portion ofthe peltin position on the stretcher-bar.

The invention consists, further, of mechanism for adjusting the apron to which the pelt is applied, so as to adjust the pelt quickly on the stretcherbar and bring any portion of the pelt into proper position relativelyto the working parts of the machine.

The invention consists, further, of certain operating mechanism connecting the drivingshaft with the reciprocating guard-comb and mechanisms will be fully described hereinaff ter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved machine for plucking pelts. Fig. 2 is a side-elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail side-view, partly in section, of the mechanism for withdrawing the operating pawi and check-pawl from the ratchet-wheel by which the pelt is adjusted on the stretcher-bar. Fig. 4. is a vertical longitudinal section on line 4, 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is likewise a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of Fig. 1, on line 5, 5, Fig. l, showing the mechanism'forlowering the vertically-reciprocating knife, so as to throw the same out of action. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical transverse section on line 6, 6, Fig. l. Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are detail vertical sections showing the operating parts of the machine in their relative position toward the pelt on the stretcher-bar, said figures showing respectively the position of the parts before the cutting off of the water-hairs takes place, during the act of' cutting them off, and after the same are cutoff. Fig. 10 is a detail front-view of a portion of the guard-comb, arranged below the stretcher-bar, and Figs. ll and l2 are respectively a vertical longitudinal section and a plan of the adjustable bearing for the rotary brush above the stretcher-bar.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings A is the frame of the ma: chine and A is the main driving-shaft which is journaled in suitable bearings of the frame Aand provided with a fixed and a loose beltpulley A2 and A3 upon either of which the driving-beit A4 can be shifted by means of the belt-shifting lever A5 that extends tothe front or working end of the machine. A belt A( passes over a pulley AT on the shaft A and over a pulley A8 on a short shaft A9 located at the working end .of the machine, which IOO B2 transmits rotary motion to a shaft B3 which is mounted at one side of the main-frame, the shaft B2 transmitting by the bevel cog-wheels BL1 B4 rotary motion to a shaft B5, mounted transversely at the working end of the machine. The shaft B5 has radial arms EG to the ends of which the rotary blade D is bolted or screwed. A brush D of the same length as v the blade D is supported by means of anglepieces D2 on the arms B6 in such a manner that it is located a short distance from the cutting edges of the blade D and so that the ends of its bristles extend slightly beyond the circle described by the cutting edge of the blade during the rotary movement of the same.

A knife-edged stretcher-bar E is fastened transversely on the machine-frame A, the edge of the stretcher-bar being a short distance from the circle described by the edge of the blade D, as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. A rotary cylindrical brush F is arranged directly above the stretcher-bar E and at a short distance back of the edge of the same. The ends of the shaft F of said brush are mounted in stationary bearings on plates F2, which are hinged to plates F3 that are fastened by screws F4 which pass through longitudinal slots F5 in the plates F3 into supports of the mainframe A, so as to permit the proper adjustment of the brush toward the edge of the stretcher-bar E. The hinged plates F2 have apertures F6 through which a wrench or other implement can be passed to tighten or loosen the screws F4, as shown in Figs. ll and l2. Thumb-screws FT pass through the notches in the free ends of the plates F2 and screw into threaded bushings of the plates F2, While helical springs F8 are interposed between the plates F2 F2 and press the plates F2 in upward direction. By turning the thumbscrews F7 in one direction or the other, the bearings for the rotary brush F can be readily raised or lowered so as t0 adjust the brush according to the kind or condition of the pelt under treatment. The brush F is rotated by means of cords or belts F9 and suitable pulleys from the main-shaft A.

The cam-shaft C carries at each end a cam C' which acts on anti-friction rollers C2 projecting from the sides of horizontally-reciprocating bars G, which are guided by slots C3 on the cam-shaft C. The bars Gare connected by intermediate threaded rods G2 and nuts and jaw-nuts gg, with cross'heads G', said cross-heads being guided in brackets g2 of the frame A. The rods G2 and nuts gg serve for adjusting the distance of the crossheads G from the shaft C. To the crossheads G are pivoted the rear-ends of two lever-arms H and Jpwhich are again connected by pivot-links H and J with fixed supports on the main-frame A, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7, by which the motion of the leverarms H and J is properly governed. The free ends ot' the arms H are curved upward and provided with bearings in which the shaftof a cylindrical separating brush K is mounted, which brush is rotated from the main-shaft A by means of endless cords or belts K which pass over pulleys on the main-shaft and on the brush-shaft, said belts passing around idlers K2 which are connected by tensionsprings K2 with the door orv other fixed point so that said belts are at all times kept taut, as shown in Fig. 2.

To the ends ofthe arms J is attached an upwardly-projecting metallic comb L, which is shown in detail in Fig. 10. A vertically-recprocating knife M extends across the mainframe and is supported by a transverse knifeholder M which is guided in slotted ways M2 in the sides of the main-frame A.

Elastic buffers M3 of any suitable construe tion are provided on the main-frame at the lower-end of the ways M2, so as to cushion the knife-holder M when the knife is lowered and moved away from the stretcher-bar. The edge of the knife M is vertically below the edge of the stretcher-bar E, as shown in Fig. 7. The knife-holder M is supported on adjustable blocks N mounted on the frontends of pivoted cam-levers N, one on each side ot' the main frame, which levers are provided at their rear ends with tappets N2 that are actuated by cams N3 on the cam-shaft C. Each cam-lever N is fulcrumed to slide-plates O which are guided by slots n on headed screws n at the inner sides of the frame A, as shown in Figs. 4 and G. The lower ends of t-he slideplates O are pivotally connected with the upper end of a toggle-lever O', the lower end of which is pivoted to the main-frame A, as shown in Figs. land 5, while the knucklejoint is connected by a link O2 with a fixed arm O3 on a rock-shaft O4, that is mounted on the main-frame and provided at each end with a handle-lever O5 for turning it. When the handle-lever O5, the slide-plates O and the parts connecting the same are in the position shown in Fig. 5, the tappets N2 of the levers N are out of the path of the cams N3 and the knife M is not reciprocated, but remains stationary in its lowermost position. When the slide-plates O are raised by placing the handle-lever O5 in the position shown in Fig. 2, the tappets at the rear-ends of the levers N are placed into the path of the cams N2 and the knife M is raised at the proper time and permitted to drop when the cams have passed over the tappets N2 so that the front-ends of the levers N descend until the knife-holder M is arrested by the buers N2.

The apron I on which the pelt ct to be treated is spread and fastened, is attached at its ends to two drums Q and R which are mounted transversely on the main-frame and IOO IIC

supported in suitable bearings of the same. The apron P passes from the roller VQ 'over a tension-roller S supported by means of helical springs S on stationary arms S2 of the main-frame A, then over and around the stretcher-bar E to the roller R. Cog-wheels Q' and R are mounted on the shafts of the drums Q and R and are engaged by a pinion R2 on a shaft carrying a ratchet-wheel R3 that is engaged by check-pawl T pivoted to the main-frame A, while an actuating pawl T is pivoted to a leverT2, which is fulcrumed at T to the frame, and provided at its upper end with a curved part T4 which is acted on by a roller T5 on the cog-wheel B. Aspring t connects the lower end of the fulcrumed le- .U engage the ends of the pawlsand prevent them from acting on the teeth of the ratchetwheel R3. At each rotation of the cog-wheel B the roller T5 engages the upper end of the lever T2, oscillates the same and moves the pawl T into one or more teeth of the ratchetwheel R2, so that when the roller T5 has passed the end of the lever T2, the springt returns it to its former position and turns the ratchetwheel T3 by the pawl T which motion is transmitted by the pinion R2 to the cog-Wheels Q and R and drums O and R, so that the apron P is intermittently fed over'the stretcher-bar E, being unwound from the drum Q and wound up on the drum R.

When the framey U hangs vertically, as shown in Fig. 2, the pawls T and T are not engaged by the notched flanges V and are free to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel R5. When the frame U is moved into the position shown in Fig. 3, a pinion V which is in mesh with the cog-wheel Q can be turned by its crankhandle V and thereby the apron and the pelt thereon. be shifted in either direction into any required position, as may be necessary for working the apron'on one drum and unwinding it from the other.

The operation is as follows: The pelt a having been stretched and secured on the apron P and having been so adjusted that one end of the same is near the stretcher-bar E, the machine is started. At each rotation of the cam-shaft C, the pawl T is actuated and the ratchet-wheel R3 turned for the distance of one tooth, whereby the roller Q is turned so as to unwind a short length of the apron while the roller R is turned in the opposite direction, so as to'wind up a corresponding length of the apron. In this'manner the apron and with it the pelt is fed intermittently over the edge of the stretcher-bar E so that narrow strips of the pelt are subjected successively to the action of the operating devices. During the forward motion of the pelt, the rotary brush F which is located above the stretcher-bar, exerts a very peculiar action upon the fur and the stiff hairs of the pelt. It stirs upthe fur and hairs and causes. the hairs to rise and free themselves from the surrounding fur or soft hairs, which latter are straightened by the continuous action of the quickly-rotating brush and laid down flat on the pelt. The rotary brush K below the stretcher-bar is next moved by the lever-arms H and cross-heads G in forward and upward direction as shown in Fig. 7, so as to brush back the fur and separate it from the stiff hairs which project from the pelt in the direction of the stretcher-bar. The separating-brushKis then moved in backward and downward direction, so as to be out of the path of the guard-comb, which is moved from its lowermost position in upward and backward direction until it arrives at the under side of the pelt close to the edge of the stretcher-bar, as shown in Fig. 8, in which position it retains the soft fur, and protects it against the action of the cutting knives. The knife M is next raised until its cutting edge is in close proximity to the edge of that portion of the pelt which is at the time in front of the edge of the stretcher-bar. When the rotary blade D arrives with the cutting edge in front of the stretcher-bar, as shown in Fig. 8, the cutting edges take hold of the stiff hairs and shear them close to the skin of the pelt, without cutting olf any portion of the soft hair. The apron is next actuated and the next adjacent strip of pelt fed forward and placed over the edge of the stretcher-bar. The vertical cutting knife recedes then from the stretcher-bar while the rotary knife moves on until t'he brush D arrives in front of the pelt and sweeps across that partin front of the edge of the stretcherbar.- The brush D draws out the fur and hairs from under the upper rotary brush and places them in proper condition for the action of the lower separating-brush which is then moved up toward the lower edge of the pelt so as to brush back the fur below the edge and separate it from the stiff hairs, while the upper brush keeps down the fur above the edge of the stretcher-bar. The separating brush is then moved back again and the guardcomb moved up so as to protect the fur. while the next cutting action of the knives takes place and so on.

As compared to my prior patent before mentioned, the novel and'irnportant feature of the present construction is the substitution for the stationary card above the stretcherbar, of a rotary brush which is placed close IOO IIO

to the edge of the stretcher-bar and which of the stretcher-bar, it drew out from under the stationary card all the fur and hair on that section of the pelt that were on the edge of the bar. Some of the fur however was only partly drawn out, owing to the varying thicknesses of the pelts. This partly drawn out fur lay in the form of a loop which stood out far enough to he reached by the knives but not far enough to be drawn down by the rotary brush below the stretcher-bar, and so was cutoff by the knives. With the rotary brush in place of the stationary card heretofore used by me, this looped fur is drawn back and laid down before the knives reach it so that the cutting of the fur is prevented and only the stiff hairs are removed.

When a pelt is put on the apron, and the machine is started it requires a few rotations of theshafts until a perfect separation of the fur from the stiff hairs on the front section of the pelt acted upon takes place. 1f the knives were to act on this portion of the pelt it would be injured as some of the fur would be cut off with the hairs. Formerlyguard-plates of thin metal were used to prevent the cutting of this fur, but they covered up the pelt so that the progress of the work could not be seen. For dispensing with the covering plates, the mechanism of interrupting the motion of the reciprocating knife is introduced, which has the advantage that the knife is prevented from rising until the separation of the fur and hairs is accomplished by the other operative parts of the machine. As soon as this separation is obtained, the reciprocating knife is thrown instantly into action' by moving the handle-lever O5 forward, and setting its actuating mechanism in motion. This has also the further advantage that the action of the cutting knives can be instantly interrupted whenever this should be required, in case one or the other of the brushes or the rotating card or the guardcomb should fail to properly perform its work, or when for some reason or another a portion of the pelt should not be subjected tothe action of the cutting knives. The entire machine is thereby more completely under the control of the attendant and performs its work in a quicker, better and more reliable manner than the machine heretofore patented by me.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination of a stretcherbar, means for intermittently feeding a pelt over the stretcher-bar in one direction, a rotary brush located near the edge of the stretcherbar and in contact with that portion of the pelt moving toward the edge of the stretcherbar means for continuously rotating saidv brush reversely to the direction ofthe movement of the pelt, and means for removing the hairs projecting from the pelt in front of the working edge of the stretcher-bar, after the brush has operated on the pelt, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a stretcher bar,

means for intermittently feeding apelt over the stretcher-bar in one direction, a rotary brush located near the edge of the stretcherbar and in contact with that portion of the pelt moving toward the edge of the stretcherbar, means for continuously rotating said brush reversely to the direction of motion of the pelt, a vertically reciprocating knife, a rotary knife, said knives co-operatin g to remove the hairs projecting from the pelt in front of the working edge of the stretcher-bar, after the rotary brush has operated on the pelt, and a brush applied to the supporting-arms of the rotary knife back of the same, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a stretcherbar, means for intermittently feeding a pelt over the stretcher-bar in one direction, a rotary brush located near the edge of the stretcherbar and in contact with that portion of the pelt moving toward the edge of the stretcherbar, means for continuously rotating said brush reversely to the direction of movement of the pelt, a rotary separating-brush below the stretcher-bar and a mechanism by which the separating-brush is moved upward and forward into a position close to the working edge of the stretcher-bar, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a fixed stretcher bar, means for intermittently feeding the pelt over the working edge of the stretcher bar, a rotary brush above and in close proximity to the stretcher bar, said brushbein g arranged back of the working edge of the stretcher bar, means for rotating said brush reversely to the direction of motion of the feeding means, a rotary separating brush below the stretcher bar, a reciprocating guard comb also below the stretcher bar, mechanism whereby the separating brush is moved upward and forward to the working edge of the stretcher bar and back again, and mechanism by which the guard comb is moved upward and under the stretcher bar near the working edge of the same, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a stretcher bar, means for intermittently feeding a pelt over the working edge of the same, a rotary brush located near the edge of the stretcher-bar and in contact with that portion of the pelt moving toward the edge of the stretcher-bar, a cam-shaft, cams on said shaft, reciprocating cross-heads guided on the main-frame and operated by said cams, lever-arms pivoted to said cross-heads below the stretcher-bar, arotary brush mounted on the ends of one set of arms, a comb mounted on the ends of the other set of arms, and pivot-links, connecting the arms with the frame, whereby said brush and comb are moved toward and away from the edge of the stretcher-bar, substantially as set forth.

G. The combination, of a stretcher-bar, means for intermittently feeding a pelt over the edge of said bar, a rotary brush mounted above the stretcher-bar and near the edge of IIO the same, hinged plates on which the shaft of said brush is mounted, springs for pushing said hinged plates upward, screws for pressing them downward, and means for adjusting the said plates and brush in horizontaldirection, substantially as set forth.

7. The combinatiom' of a stretcher bar, means for intermittently feeding a pelt over the same, a rotary brush above the stretcherbar, a rotary separatin g-brush below the same, a guard-comb also below the stretcher-bar, a rotary cutting-blade, a vertically-reciprocating-knife, and mechanism for throwingthe reciprocating-knife in or out of action, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, of a stretcher bar, means for intermittently feeding a pelt over the same, a rotary brush above the stretcherbar, a rotary brush below the same, a guardcomb, a rotary cutting knife, a vertically cutting knife, a cam-shaft, cams on the same, intermediate llever-arms for reciprocating said knife, slide-plates to which the lever-arms are fulcrumed, and means for raising or lowering said slide-plates so as to throw theleverarms of the vertical knife in or out of action, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, of a stretcher-bar, an apron stretched over the same, to which the pelt is attached, drums to which the apron is attached, a pawl and ratchet-mechanism connected with said drums, a cam-shaft, means for actuating said pawi and ratchet-mechanism from said cam-shaft, a pendent frame pivoted to the shaft of the ratchet-wheel and provided with guard-Hanges for engagingthe actuating pawl and check-pawl of the ratchetwheel and throwing said pawls out of engagement with said ratchet-wheel, and ymeans for rotating the drums when said pawls are out of engagement so as to permit the quick adjustment of the apron on the drums in either direction, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOI-IN W. SUTTON.

Witnesses: A

PAUL GOEPEL, K. R. BRENNAN. 

